the rugby world cup, france 2023
By Allyn freeman
The Tenth Rugby World Cup will take place this year in France, starting on Friday, September 8, and running for six-weeks until Saturday, October 28. The final match is scheduled in the 80,000 seat Stade de France in Paris.
Twenty nations will compete for World Rugby’s William Webb Ellis Trophy. The four pools of five teams each follow:
A – New Zealand, France, Italy, Uruguay, Namibia
B – South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Tonga, Romania
C – Wales, Australia, Fiji, Georgia, Portugal
D – England, Japan, Argentina, Samoa, Chile
Two teams from each pool will advance into the quarter finals. The USA Eagles and Canada failed to qualify for the quadrennial event.
Results
The initial RWC began in 1987 when sixteen-nations competed in New Zealand and Australia. The All Blacks and the Springboks have won three titles, Australia two, and England one. France and England have been runners up in three tournaments.
Ireland, currently, the highest ranked World Rugby country, and champions of 2023’s Six Nation title with a Grand Slam (i.e.; A clean sheet of winning all five games.), has never advanced out of the RWC quarter-final rounds for a record seven occasions.
Attendance
The attendance has generated excellent totals with three out of the past four RWC events achieving a ninety-percent or higher outcome of possible stadium seating. Data follow:
RWC Total Average Percent
Year Venue Attendance Per Stadium Capacity
2007 France 2.3MM 47.2M 93%
2011 NZ 1.5MM 30.1M 85%
2015 England 2.5MM 51.6M 95%
2019 Japan 1.7MM 37.8M 91%
Broadcast
The RWC ranks as the third most watched global sports broadcast with over four-billion views. Tops is FIFA’s association football World Cup that achieves over forty-billion views. Second is the Summer Olympics at twenty-billion.
Five France 2023 Questions and Answers
1Q. What is the best online source for the RWC 2023?
1A. To find information regarding the RWC, access Word Rugby.org website. There, upload tournament pools and match schedules with dates and venues from the opening game until the final at the Stade de France. The Stade celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/2023
2Q. How to find accommodations?
2A. An excellent source is Accor (A leading French hotel chain.) at https://all.accor.com/france/index.fr.shtml. For rental platforms, try Airbnb.com. Or in Paris at parisforrent.com.
3Q. Train travel in France?
3A. SNCF, the French national train company, is an official sponsor of RWC 2023. Book train tickets at https://www.sncf-connect.com
4Q. How to buy RWC tickets?
4A. The RWC tickets are sold out. Keep an eye on the resale website at https://tickets.rugbyworldcup.com/fr/tarifs_unite. A few hospitality packages are available at https://www.couleur-rugby.com/packages-officiels-billets-coupe-du-monde-de-rugby-france-2023/tousmatchs.html. Or via the RWC official travel agency at
5Q. Any additional suggestions?
5A. The French government issued an interesting website for all supporters traveling to France for the RWC and the 2024 Paris Olympics https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf/2023-rugby-world-cup-and-paris-2024-olympic-and-paralympic-games-consumer-questions . Some regions in France released local information (e.g.; city of Nice https://www.france.fr/fr/cote-dazur/liste/nice-coupe-du-monde-rugby or city of Paris https://www.visitparisregion.com/en/inspiration/themed-guides/rugby-worldcup-in-paris
Final Note
In the USA, NBC will be the official television broadcaster of the 2023 RWC:
NBCSN = 26 matches, Quarterfinals, and Final
NBC = Semi-finals and Final (Delayed)
CNBC = Selected games
Need a Rugby World Cup guide in Paris with a car? Contact Gilles Mege, a fifteen-year executive with the French Rugby Federation who speaks fluent English.
Emails: Gilles.Mege@SFR.FR or gillesmege@hotmail.com
Telephone: +33 6 10 54 05 32
